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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: vault · straw · mark · band · fan · rule · wake · can

  1. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. vault — in gymnastics
  2. can — to be able to
  3. vault — a safe
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. mark — a grade
  9. wake — a trail
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. can — a tin
  13. band — a music group
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. rule — a law
  16. band — a ring
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. mark — a trace
  22. can — a tin
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. rule — government

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com